NOTES AND LITERATURE 



PLANT CYTOLOGY 

 Some Recent Research on the Cilia-forming Organ of Plant Cells. 



— The blepharoplast, or cilia-forming organ of plants, is present 

 in the sperms and other motile gametes and in the zoospores. 

 When fully developed it lies close against the plasma membrane 

 of the cell in the form of a granule or band of various shapes 

 to which the cilia are attached. The origin of the blepharoplast 

 has been the subject of considerable research with conflicting 

 conclusions. 



Strasburger in 1900 from studies on the zoospores of (Edo- 

 gonium, Cladophora and Vaueheria decided that the blepharo- 

 plast arose in the plasma membrane (Hautschicht), the nucleus 

 lying in close proximity at the time of its formation; Mottier 

 later described a similar origin for the blepharoplast of Chara. 

 In sharp contrast to the above conclusions are those of Belajeff 

 from studies on the sperms of certain pteridophytes, Ikeno for 

 Cycas and Marchantia, and Hirase for Ginkgo, who hold that 

 the blepharoplast is an attractive sphere or centrosome. Bela- 

 jeff in particular has consistently described the blepharoplast 

 ^-■'•■ipyinL'. as ;l centrosome. the poles of the spindle in the 

 mi osis previous to the formation of the sperm mother cells, and 



nitoses ; each sperm mother 

 roplast. Ikeno, especially 

 s to the centrosome nature 

 is are disputed by Miyake. 

 ch Davis and Yamanouchi 

 ;he reviews which follow) 

 arising in the cytoplasm 



>osite sides of the nucleus 

 >i; Shaw for MarsmHto 



